


locations and times

by seaworn, zhurou



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: First Kiss, Flashbacks, Flowers, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, OtaYuri Reverse Bang 2017, Otabek's family loves Yuri, Pining, Social Media
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-11-02 03:48:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10936365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seaworn/pseuds/seaworn, https://archiveofourown.org/users/zhurou/pseuds/zhurou
Summary: Yuri sometimes feels like they are already dating, just without the kissing. Like today; Otabek  nuzzled his nose in Yuri’s hair at the airport when they hugged, drowning himself in it while Yuri held on to the lapels of Otabek’s jacket, trying not to cry at the sheer happiness of seeing the boy.**For the prompt: “ On the ride home from a long date, Otabek is the first to fall asleep which sucks for Yuri since he’s real tired too. It’s really hard to keep awake because Otabek is really warm and it’s late at night, but someone has to watch out for their stop, right?”





	locations and times

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zhurou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zhurou/gifts).



> This story is a part of Otayuri Reversebang 2017. The art as well as the prompt were given to me by the lovely ryuuseimaru! They did amazing art for me to work on, thank you <3 
> 
> Betaed by archester-draws , thank you so much! <3

****They are the only two people getting on the bus when it reaches the bus stop. Yuri’s grateful for that; he’s been around people the whole day - first at the airport, then the rest of the day walking around the city - that he is starting to crave some quiet and space.

 

“There we go,” Otabek says and smiles at Yuri a little nervously. He’s been doing that the whole day. Yuri thinks that he’s maybe trying to make sure he’s still feeling alright, as if he would somehow miraculously change his mind about staying in Kazakhstan. It’s silly and adorable and completely unnecessary. Of course Yuri wants to be here.

 

Otabek puts his hand on Yuri’s lower back when they enter the bus. He ushers Yuri towards the back of the bus as he stays to buy them both tickets. Yuri staggers to the back of it and chooses places for them. He puts his bag onto the floor, under the seat in front of him and sits down with a huff.

 

Otabek follows him a moment later and takes the seat next to Yuri.

 

“The bus is going to take about an hour, I’m afraid,” he informs Yuri. Yuri nods. It’s fairly easy to get to Otabek’s parents by day, but during the night the only bus going there is one that takes a lot longer route.

 

Technically, they could have taken Otabek’s motorbike. Yuri doesn’t have _that_ much luggage with him - it would fit in the tank bag of Otabek’s motorbike, but Yuri didn’t allow Otabek to come pick him up with that. While the thought of _finally_ arriving to Almaty and getting onto that motorbike, putting his hands around Otabek’s waist and resting his head in the boy’s neck was appealing, Yuri has some sense in his brain; Otabek is too tired to drive them back. He’s never going to admit that, but Yuri knows it anyway.

 

“You can rest if you want,” Yuri says, sympathetically. “I remember our stop, you don’t have to worry.”

 

"But it would be nice to talk to you,” Otabek replies and butts Yuri's shoulder with his head.

 

“We just spent a ridiculous amount of time gazing into each other’s eyes in a restaurant and talking our ears off afterwards, I think we’re good for now,” Yuri teases, but blushes a little anyway.

 

He had arrived to Almaty around midday. While Otabek has his own place in the city, they are going to Otabek’s parents for a week or so. That is fine with Yuri, because he _adores_ the Altin household.

 

Yuri took a plane here from Moscow. He was there at Lilia's the whole week, practising off-ice for a while. He missed skating, but Lilia insisted that it was important and easier for Yuri to focus on his extensions and the flow of his movement when he wasn't on skates, ready to do those complex jump combinations. Just before he left, though, he went back to Yakov, the man giving him a hard time and making Yuri work harder than ever, ranting about how Yuri can _not_ forget about everything just because he has a holiday.

 

As a result, Yuri has been on his feet most of the week and now, starting his holiday,  he’s ready to drop dead.

 

Otabek isn’t any better. He’s tired too - no, scratch that;  he’s been tired for _months_ already.  He has so many projects on his plate it’s ridiculous. On top of his time-consuming love for almost-broken motorbikes he repairs, he’s started creating a career for himself.

 

After skating, of course.

 

Otabek is sensible like that. He has passions and he _takes_ them for himself, giving failing no space or thought.

 

He knows being a figure skater isn’t a life-long career. He already has plans for so many things after that despite being barely 21. Yuri knows he could lay on his butt for a decade and _still_ be able to get any job he wants. But Otabek has been taught to take initiative, work hard, create the kind of life for himself he wants instead of waiting for opportunities to fall into his lap.

 

He’s dancing nowadays, going to the dance studio a few times a week. Modern dance, hip hop, street dance - things he’s good at. No ballet, Yuri smiles, but the type of dances that need to have a great sense of rhythm and stamina.  He is musically talented and has been dancing around the subject of doing some DJing at some point, too. He’s been doing his own choreographies for a while now, so Yuri wouldn’t be surprised if Otabek takes up that as a serious hobby too.

 

That’s why Yuri isn’t bothered to let Otabek get some sleep; tonight was the starting of his holiday, too.

 

Yuri hums with contentment. He’s tired, but happy. Today’s been a good day. Yuri _loves_ Otabek’s family, but he’s glad that they took today for themselves. They didn’t do anything special - they just went eating, walked around the city and visited a few vintage shops Otabek knew Yuri would be interested in. Yuri tried sushi burritos for the first time in his life and tried bubble tea. It was almost like a real date. No, actually - Yuri was almost sure that it _was_ a real date.

 

Yuri already feels like he could fall in love with _them_. Otabek and him, together. They fit together so well, so seamlessly. He tries to take it easy, though, because he was no idea whether Otabek feels the same. There’s just something new about the tension between them. Like they’re shifting towards something new little by little.

 

Otabek rests his head on Yuri’s shoulder. “I’m not going to sleep, I just get car sickness,” he explains, and Yuri feels his heart swell with emotion. This stupid, reckless boy who did dizzying spins and jumps at an amazing speed, who rode motorbikes as a hobby, _gets car sick._

 

 _“_ You do that,” Yuri smiles. Otabek sniffs next to him. His pinkie is touching Yuri’s pinkie. Yuri feels his face heating up at that small moment of affection.

 

Yuri sometimes feels like they are already dating, just without the kissing. Like today; Otabek  nuzzled his nose in Yuri’s hair at the airport when they hugged, drowning himself in it while Yuri held on to the labels of Otabek’s jacket, trying not to cry at the sheer happiness of seeing the boy.

 

That doesn’t change the fact that they haven’t kissed.

 

He’s excited, though, because he’s almost positive that they’re _going_ to kiss at some point. They haven’t discussed it, but Yuri assumes so. And all right, he might have asked Katsudon for relationship advice because he’s somehow very good at all that emotional stuff.

 

They are probably dating. Yuri’s made a list (in his head), and he’s checked the boxes he thinks point towards romantic affection.

 

Exhibit A: They’ve held hands. Katsudon said that that was the first thing he and Viktor did before dating, so Yuri counts that as _important._

 

Yuri remembers the first time vividly. It was just after the Worlds in Helsinki. They were walking through the city before leaving home, enjoying the surprisingly cold weather and the simple, Scandinavian architecture. Viktor was snapping photos like he’d never been abroad before and Yuuri was clinging onto his side, holding his hand and kissing his cheek. Phichit had his selfie stick out, almost whacking innocent bystanders with it.  Yuri was flustered because Viktor and Yuuri had had the nerve to ask _Otabek_ to join them for dinner. His solution for that was to be glued on his phone the entire time, taking pictures for Instagram and Snapchat to keep himself occupied and to _not look at Otabek_ , who looked dashing and fashionable and who fit right in to that weird, urban thing Helsinki had going on.

 

Yuri was _so_ glued to his phone that he almost got himself hit by a car. All of the crossroads didn’t have traffic lights and Yuri thought he’d looked at the road before crossing it, but Otabek gently stopped him before Yuri stepped onto the road by taking Yuri’s  hand into his own gloved one. It was barely a close shave in all honestly, but Yuri took his eyes from his phone to look at Otabek in surprise anyway. There was red on Otabek’s cheeks, mirroring Yuri’s. Yuri made a decision then, and, with the tiniest curl of his fingers, didn’t let go of that hand that was holding his.

 

Blushing and stiff like two sticks they walked behind everyone else without saying anything or even looking at each other. But at some point, Otabek took his glove off before taking Yuri’s hand again, and that was the _best_ memory Yuri had from that year’s competition.

 

Next piece of evidence. They’ve talked to each other _repeatedly_ during these last months.

 

Their friendship was a slow, slow transition. The first time they met was in Barcelona -  Yuri was then only fifteen, Otabek barely over seventeen. After that they talked via social media. Random things, neither really confessing whether they wanted to talk more or not. Yuri snapped Otabek about his cat and in retaliation Otabek sent him pictures about his cousin’s cat, and they argued which was cuter. Otabek followed him on Instagram despite that he wasn’t very active in it and was barely following 40 people (it was very little as opposed to Yuri’s 349). He commented on Yuri’s pictures there - Yuri still gets around 150 comments to each of his pictures, but he _always_ keeps an eye on Otabek’s comments. He had especially back then - when he was pining and craving Otabek’s indirect attention.

 

After Helsinki happened, they started talking more. They even exchanged numbers. Otabek asked him first, and Yuri’s heart did flips and jumps at that. Yuri had even messed up the numbers trying to tell his number to the boy. Otabek messaged him things like _“I just took a 2 hour morning run and it started raining about 10 minutes in”_ and _“my cousin’s cat is having kittens soon”_ and _“I just watched your performance at Saitama - your legwork is flawless”_ . Yuri replied back, trying to cool off and restrain himself from spamming too much. He sent Otabek snaps with his face with that silly dog filter with a caption of _“look how ridiculous this looks”_ . It was a poor, poor veil for _please look at me_ . Otabek always retaliated by sending pics of _his_ face with the dog filter and a frown ( _“I think I look more ridiculous”)_. Not screenshotting that was one of the hardest things Yuri ever had to do.

 

Once, Otabek went hiking with his friends for a week and Yuri slipped, sending him 600 minutes worth of snaps. Otabek’s only reply was _“I owe you at least that amount of video, looks like”_. And when Yuri was on a 10 hour flight to Japan, he did exactly that. He sent pointless videos of himself talking to Yuri, trying those filters and showing Yuri his morning run route. Yuri’s heart swelled then and it hasn’t stopped doing that since.

 

They’ve talked on the phone, too. It was a big step to take, but Yuri found himself not even thinking about shying from it, when, a little over a year ago Otabek messaged him: _“I had a really upsetting day and I just missed my train and now I have two hours before the next one. Call me and keep me company?”_

 

After that, they started Skyping too. Most times it was just collective let’s-surf-on-the-internet stuff with the occasional comment or a shared cat video. But it was amazing and always Yuri’s favourite part of the day. He loved seeing Otabek’s face, because he was sometimes very expressive when he talked. His brows went up and down and sometimes he bit his lip when he tried to remember a word in Russian (he was pretty much fluent in it, but he still sometimes forgot words and then adorably tried to explain around them).

They became closer when Yuri visited Otabek almost exactly one year ago. Otabek was still living with his parents back then so obviously Yuri stayed in Otabek’s room. They jogged together, went to Otabek’s home rink for some improv for their upcoming themes and choreographies, they watched movies. Yuri didn’t know that many movies because he never had the patience to sit down and focus on something like that for two hours, but Otabek made sure to make Yuri’s movie knowledge better. The best part was that they watched the movies from Otabek’s laptop _in his bed_ , lying on their stomachs next to each other. Well, Yuri had a good reason that he didn’t remember shit about the movies or their plots; he focused on Otabek’s warm body right next to his, his already familiar scent and low voice when he said something about a scene or asked if Yuri wanted more popcorn. Yuri pretended to get sleepy just to be able to cuddle a little bit closer, to lean his head on Otabek’s shoulder just a bit.

 

But one day, Otabek got sleepy. They had spent the entire day outside, and the early evening’s sun rays were flickering through the curtains, painting everything in hues of orange and pink. Yuri remembered watching dust particles floating in the space the light touched before he got sleepy too. They woke up next to each other, puffing soft breaths into each other’s neck, two hours later. Instead of freaking out like Yuri suspected Otabek would do, the boy just blinked, smiled and said _“oops”_ , not even making an effort to move further.

 

The last two days of their time together, Yuri slept in Otabek’s bed. They played Oblivion on his bed, under the covers because the heater in his room was broken.  Yuri complained about getting sleepy, but Otabek wanted to play one more game.

 

“Just let me rest this one game, okay? I’ll beat your ass after that,” Yuri whined and snuggled into Otabek’s pillow.

 

“Take a nap, then,” Otabek shrugged a shoulder and didn’t take his eyes off the screen. Yuri did that, except that he fell asleep on the spot. He woke up three hours later when Otabek took the controller from his hands and put a blanket on top of him before getting under the covers himself, barely half a meter from him.

 

So. Cuddling. That was important, Yuri thinks. Neither him or Otabek are very touchy-feely with other people, so Yuri has a hard time believing Otabek has sleepovers with his other friends in the same bed. He hasn’t asked, of course, but - you know.

 

Otabek shifts against Yuri, and Yuri is almost sure he’s asleep now. Yuri smiles, because Otabek’s breath against Yuri’s chin reminds Yuri of a beach. He isn’t a beach person, nor does he especially like beach related metaphors, but it fits this time. Otabek breathing is like when the sea touches the shore, sea foam shifting against the hot sand warmed up by the sun. The tempo of the water - soothing, never-ending, infinite. Otabek’s whole presence feels like the sun-warmed, soft water on his ankles.

 

Yuri huffs at himself. He’s ridiculous.

 

He shifts his position as much as he can with Otabek’s head pressed against his shoulder. He watches out the window; the rapidly changing landscapes that slowly transfer from urban city view to less buildings. Otabek’s parents live just outside the city.

 

Thinking about Yuuri’s relationship advice, something he said pops into Yuri’s head. Yuuri said: _“ If someone Otabek finds important likes you and sees you as a good match, your chances of success are probably higher. That doesn’t apply to everyone, but I remember I was a lot more sure about Viktor because both my parents approved of him and thought that we fit together well.“_

 

Otabek’s mother liked Yuri _a lot_. That first time Yuri visited the Altin household, he was shy and reserved, hesitantly happy to be there but at the same time uncomfortable because he didn’t know how to act around other people’s families. He’d never actually been into a friend’s house, after all.

 

Mrs. Altin made him feel welcome, though. She spoke Russian more fluently than Otabek did, and from the moment she said, Здравствуйте, _Yuri,_ Yuri felt warm. She hugged him and instead of many people, didn’t comment on his appearance (his pale, thin complexion made people say stupid things like _“you look like you’re still thirteen”_ and _“oh, you’re just like a real fairy!_ ”), but instead said: “I’ve paid attention to you ever since Otabek told me he’s friends with you. You’re very good - strong and graceful.”

 

Yuri loves her.

 

Her food is amazing, spicy and full of flavour. Yuri’s grandpa makes really good food too, Yakov has killer sandwiches, Yuuri’s katsudon is heavenly and even Viktor’s borscht is to die for. But nothing (except maybe grandpa’s pirozhkis) compares to Mrs. Altin’s cooking. Yuri doesn’t quite believe that “cooking with love” makes the food any better, but somehow the warm atmosphere at the Altin’s does wonders to all the flavours.

 

Yuri didn’t exactly know how to act around other people’s families. He’s never had those kinds of friends himself - the kind you visit and whose mother and father you know, eat at their place, play with their toys. So Yuri was a nervous wreck, eager to make an impression but knowing all the while that, in general, he might come across as a little harsh. Disrespective. Ignorant.

 

He walked on his toes those first days, sitting back straight in the Altin living room with clammy palms. Otabek tried his best to make Yuri feel good, but the truth was that _he_ was nervous too. Back then, they’d been just friends but, evidently, very taken with each other. Mrs. Altin had sensed something between them, though. She put her palm between Yuri’s shoulder blades when one night Yuri was cleaning the table after dinner, and declared: “You’ll be a great son-in-law.” Otabek groaned a loud “maman!” while Yuri froze, almost dropping the plates in his hands. He probably stuttered something along the lines of “we’re not - he’s not - i’m - “ while Otabek was red like a beetroot.

 

After that visit, Otabek’s mother and Yuri have been friends. Mrs. Altin sent Yuri a christmas card every year as well as something for his birthday. She tagged Yuri in cat videos on Facebook now that she has learned how to use it, and she _always, always, always_ congratulates Yuri when he does well in a competition and sends him a comforting message if he doesn’t.

 

Otabek values his mother. He adores her, truly. So maybe, maybe it’s a good thing that Mrs. Altin likes Yuri? Otabek would rather date someone who’s approved by his mother, right?

 

Otabek’s fingers twined themselves along Yuri’s, waking him from his thoughts.

 

Yuri lets out a stuttering breath and looks at their joined hands. Otabek’s darker, thicker fingers that had a few cuts and scrapes from being reckless on the ice and around motorbikes, merged with Yuri's pale, smaller ones is a contradiction Yuri loves.

 

Otabek is incredibly cool without even _realising_ it. Here he was, the Hero of Kazakhstan, a certified bad boy, drooling on his shoulder. Holding Yuri’s hand like it was no big deal. With the same hands he always does the dishes and helps his mother with gardening. With the same hands he fixes his motorbike. Same hands that take care of his skates, loving fingers following the blades of them, making sure they are sharp enough, tying the laces with precision and skill. Same hands that sometimes took Yuri’s hand between them, inspecting Yuri’s cuts and bruises.  Same hands that had enveloped Yuri in a tight hug after he’d been so disappointed with his own performance at the Rostelecom cup last year that he’d burst into tears the minute he was off the ice.

 

A weird-yet-already-very-familiar feeling flickers in Yuri’s chest. It's something akin to panic. But it's - warmer. Bubblier. Expectant.

 

The feeling makes Yuri hold his breath every time he sees Otabek and, lately, whenever they are together. Whenever Otabek messages him, whenever Yuri thinks of him.

 

*

 

Yuri doesn’t know when he closed his eyes. He doesn’t know when his head started resting against Otabek’s. He just realises that he _must_ have dozed off at some point because he has to open his eyes to see. Yuri was waken by a bump on the road and his head drops forward.

 

“Shit,” he says and blinks. He watches out the window, but it’s too dark to see where they’re at. Yuri mutters another curse and reaches for his phone. It’s - fuck, it’s about 70 minutes since the bus left so they definitely missed their stop.

 

“Beka,” Yuri nudges the sleeping boy next to him. Otabek rouses and groans a little, hand going to rub at his stiff neck.

 

“Beka, we missed our stop,” Yuri says and cringes apologetically. “I fell asleep too. I swear I was awake most of the time - I was just thinking - but I probably closed my eyes just before our stop.”

 

Otabek sits up and yawns. He peers out the window, but he doesn’t look alarmed.

 

“Well?” Yuri asks. He really doesn’t know how far they are, nor does he want to walk for miles and miles to get to the house.

 

“It’s alright,” Otabek says. “We can get off at next stop. It’s a little bit longer road, but nothing we can’t manage.”

 

Yuri dreads what that means in reality, because Otabek can _manage_ 20 kilometer runs before the sun has risen, but he nods anyway.

 

Otabek is a gentleman and takes Yuri’s gym bag over his shoulder as they exit the bus after a few minutes. Otabek thanks the bus driver before hopping off. He stretches his hands over his head.

 

Yuri looks around him. It’s dark already, but it’s still only dusk because it’s June. It’s not cold, but the air is damp and chilly. Yuri breathes in the clean air and can almost feel the flow of calmness course through him. He doesn’t know what it is about being here, but he feels the most peaceful he’s been. It can’t be all because of the physical distance from city lights, the rush, the cacophony of people, his own life.

 

The air smells of wet soil, mist and...Lavenders?

 

Yuri blinks. The Altins usually have dried lavenders in their kitchen, above the copper pans nobody uses anymore. The smell of them will always remind Yuri of the Altins. Otabek, too, because when Otabek visited Yuri, he had dried, crushed lavender leaves in a tiny pouch. When Yuri asked about it, Otabek replied that they made the clothes smell good when they were in a stuffy bag for a longer time.

 

Yuri has woken up many times with the lingering smell of lavenders in his mind.

 

“Over there,” Otabek says and points forward, and Yuri admires him for instantly knowing what Yuri’s thinking about.  “There’s a field of them”, he clarifies. “We’ll walk by them, I can show you.” He takes Yuri’s bag over one shoulder and starts walking.

 

“Oh, wow - okay,” Yuri stutters and starts following Otabek, the bus long gone. It’s so quiet; Yuri always forgets how far from the city this place actually is despite being relatively close, distance wise.

 

“Was the field here last summer? Because I can’t remember it?” Yuri asks, mostly to fill the silence. “Sorry for falling asleep, by the way.” He reaches for his bag, but Otabek only gently shakes his head.

 

“Let me,” he smiles. “They start blooming in late June, usually. You were here in the beginning of summer. I remember that because when they started blooming, I felt really sad that you didn’t have a chance to see them.”

 

Yuri doesn’t know what he should make of that statement. Otabek loves this place, that’s for sure. Yuri doesn’t want to overanalyze, but does this mean Otabek wants to share things that are important to him with Yuri? He’s been doing that since the start; always sending him pictures of Almaty, of his parents’ house.

 

Yuri watches as Otabek lifts his chin up and breathes a little deeper. He looks happy, despite being still sleepy from the bus-ride.

 

Yuri hasn’t asked how living on his own in a small flat in the middle of Almaty has worked out for him. Does he find it okay? Yuri has always thought that Otabek belonged somewhere where he had space, somewhere wild and untamed. Like on top of a motorbike or endless fields of ice. Somehow, tenement house hallways and one-room apartments didn’t suit him in Yuri’s mind. Yuri doesn’t see him as someone who belongs in the countryside either, hell no, but Otabek was someone who needed _air_ to blossom.

 

“You okay, Yura?” Otabek asks him and Yuri blinks away his thoughts.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he says. He has the strangest urge to take Otabek’s hand, let him lead him home. It’s not that dark that he needs any guidance, but somehow the fact that it’s night makes wanting that easier; daylight makes everything harsh and more real.

 

Otabek nods.  The asphalt is cracked and dry and Yuri avoids the small holes in the road.

 

"What were you thinking about, by the way?" Otabek asks after a while.

 

"What?" Yuri kicks a rock with the insole of his foot as if it were a football.

 

"You said you were thinking something before you fell asleep?"

 

"Um." Yuri glances to Otabek, but he isn't looking at Yuri.

 

He could say _"oh, I'm just absent-minded, that's all",_ or _"nothing in particular"_ , or _"trying to memorise something Lilia taught me"._ Or he _could_ just let Otabek know how much he likes being here.

 

"I was just. Thinking about us?" The way he says it - it's unsure and his voice catches up at the end, like he isn't sure if he's supposed to say that, or whether he's doing this correctly or not.

 

"What about us?" Otabek asks. His voice is low and careful.

 

"Well - uh. That, um -", Yuri says and clears his throat. "We're very good friends, aren't we? I'm glad to be here - not in Kazakhstan, I mean, sure, it's nice being out of Russia. But I meant, I'm glad to be here with you."

 

He goes red in the face, completely and utterly. It was both too close to his actual feelings and at the same time - not. It was all about the interpretation, Yuri supposed. If Otabek sees them as friends, he can see that as _"I missed my best friend"._ If Otabek thinks like Yuri wants him to think, it could be seen as _"there's no-one I'd rather be with."_

 

Yuri desperately wants to hear Otabek say something, but he doesn’t. Instead, Otabek mutters “wait”, and puts down Yuri’s bag he’s carrying.  There’s a small ditch between the road and the lavender field. Otabek effortlessly jumps to the edge of the field (he’d never do something as uncool as fall over or something. He _never_ fell. It’s infuriating.). The night is at its darkest, but it was light enough to see the contrast between Otabek and the field. Otabek is so dark; almost black hair, that worn-out leather jacket he always wore, black jeans, black hoodie underneath his jacket. Brown boots that were somewhere between real hiking boots and unbelievably cool, urban boots. The lavender field behind him is all soft, tame colours; washed-out lilac against light-green.

 

There he is; the hero of Kazakhstan, on his knees in the soil, determined hands picking out lavenders from the ground.

 

Yuri’s breath hitches pathetically. He’s probably very sleep-deprived. No, he _definitely_ is. But right now he feels drunk on love.

 

Yuri would tell himself off for being such a romantic, but how can he feel anything else when Otabek hops over to the road’s side with a bunch of flowers in his hands and walks back to Yuri with a satisfied smile on his face?

 

Yuri winds his hands around his midsection just to do something, but Otabek immediately thinks Yuri is cold, because he gets this really concerned look on his face.

 

“Oh my god, I’m sorry - I didn’t realise you’re cold,” he says and maneuvers his leather jacket off his shoulders. He puts the flowers onto the ground, gently.

 

“I’m fine, Beka,” Yuri tries to say, feebly, but his objections fall short when he watches Otabek step closer. He puts the jacket around Yuri’s shoulders, and wordlessly Yuri pushes his hands into the sleeves.

 

The leather jacket is sort of heavy, but it feels comforting around Yuri’s shoulders. He feels, well - like he’s Otabek’s. This jacket is what Otabek wears throughout the year, almost. It’s worn-out and comfortable despite being stiff leather. Otabek has never loaned it to anybody, not to his knowledge. The jacket is a part of Otabek, definitely.

 

“Won’t you be cold now, though?” Yuri asks and tries to cover his blush. Otabek’s only wearing a long-sleeved shirt, now. At least still has his scarf around his neck. 

 

Otabek huffs. “No, don’t worry. Wow, you’re even a little taller than me _and yet_ you could get lost inside that jacket,” he comments and Yuri grins because he just can’t not.

 

“It’s very comfortable,” he comments because he can’t possibly start babbling about Otabek’s much broader chest and muscular arms that fill out the coat perfectly, unlike Yuri who’s leaner.

Yuri almost, almost gets lost in Otabek’s brown eyes, but then the boy looks away from him, to his own lap. He looks at his self-collected bouquet of lavenders and separates one, small flower  from the rest and reaches forward to Yuri. He swipes a few hairs behind Yuri’s ear, fingertips following the trail from Yuri’s chin to the base of his skull, and Yuri’s pretty sure his breath stutters audibly. Otabek gently tucks the tiny flower behind Yuri’s ear.

 

“There.”

 

Yuri bites his lip. He’s used to himself flustering and blushing in front of Otabek by now, but he _doesn’t_ expect Otabek to make a tiny sound and drop his gaze to his feet.

 

“What is it?” Yuri asks.

 

Otabek laughs softly - it’s just a breath, honestly - and shakes his head. “It’s just -you’re one of the prettiest things I’ve ever seen.”

 

Yuri’s heart thuds, surprised. He tries to take a deep breath to calm himself down, but suddenly breathing? It’s boring and unnecessary. Yuri much rather feels this hesitant, warm joy inside his ribcage than fresh air.

 

“What are the other things, then?” He asks and bites his tongue a little.

 

“I...Can’t remember?” Otabek says and looks a little confused, like he _actually_ forgot everything else.

 

“That’s - flattering?” Yuri chuckles. _Yes_ , he thinks. They are definitely going to kiss.

 

Otabek laughs. “It was supposed to, yes. You’re...Always pretty, in my opinion,” he confesses.

 

Yuri steps closer, closing the distance between them. He looks at Otabek’s face and sees his usually pale cheeks flushing a little. Yuri almost feels bad that he’s not shorter than Otabek anymore, because standing on his tiptoes and putting his hands around Otabek’s shoulders for support would be nice.

 

Yuri doesn’t break Otabek’s gaze. He doesn’t make a joke, laugh it off, change the subject. Not now.

 

It can’t be unclear anymore what Yuri wants. It’s not unclear what _Otabek_ wants.

 

He wants to wait for the final confirmation that Otabek wants him, he wants to hear Otabek say _“Yuri, kiss me.”_ But actually? He’s pretty sure he doesn’t need that sign. He _knows_ it.

 

Oh, hell.

 

Yuri leans in and crushes their mouths together. He’s never kissed anyone before, so it’s actually a lot less romantic and a lot more messy than he thought. But it doesn’t matter, because Otabek gives a delighted little laugh before he takes Yuri in his arms, cupping his head with one hand and waist with the other hand. Yuri can’t help laughing too, right against Otabek’s warm mouth. Otabek’s nose is cold and feels like an ice cube next to Yuri’s, but that’s pretty much everything Yuri is able to comprehend. Kissing Otabek feels unreal but at the same time it feels like something he should have done a long time ago. Yuri thought that kissing him would be a whole new territory - and in a way it is. But it’s still Otabek, whom Yuri knows better than anyone.

 

He knows the nose that’s bumping against his. He’s memorised the shape of those lips in his mind, the stubble of his chin. He knows what Otabek smells like and what it feels like to hug him.

 

He definitely knows the rumbling, melodic laugh that’s bubbling from Otabek’s mouth, right against Yuri’s lips.

 

Yuri slips his fingers inside Otabek’s hoodie to feel his warm waist. Otabek, however, jumps at that and parts from Yuri’s mouth enough to look at him.

 

“Your fingers are cold,” he says, but has difficulty tearing his eyes from Yuri’s lips, which Yuri finds _adorable._  “Which reminds me that we should probably get going? I don’t want you to get cold and it’s a few miles from here,” he adds apologetically.

 

They almost forget Yuri’s bag next to their feet, until Otabek stumbles over it. Yuri steps over the lavenders and they both giggle nervously at their limbs that won’t coordinate. Yuri makes sure that the flower in his hair is still there - he has a silly idea of pressing it between a book and keeping it.

 

Otabek takes Yuri’s hand and brings it to his mouth before they start walking again. Yuri flushes and the giddy feeling in his stomach expands to his chest, face and toes. Otabek’s brown eyes find his as he presses a kiss to his knuckles.

 

“I’m so glad you’re here, too.”

  


[](http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/yourplisetsky/media/ReverseBangSubmission%20-%20Ryuuseimaru%202%20copy_zpstdfpsgh0.png.html)

**Author's Note:**

> Make sure to check my artist's tumblr at ryuuseimaru or kusuharatakeru ! <3 
> 
> Special thanks to my girl [happydraco](http://www.happydraco.tumblr.com), as well as [kirinvlinder](http://www.kirinvlinder.tumblr.com), [rayraywrites](http://www.rayraywrites.tumblr.com) and [meimagino](http://www.meimagino.tumblr.com) for supporting me and helping me throughout the writing process <3 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr @ [dotingdamen](http://www.dotingdamen.tumblr.com)!
> 
> I’d love to hear what you thought! <3


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